Wet-filter air cleaner



H.H. GARNER.

WET FILTER AIR CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 8. 192|.

1 ,426, 1 77. I Patented Aug. .15, 1922.

UNITED STATES rmx-MAN n. asuman, or Pomona, CALIFORNIA.

WET-FILTER AIR CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent. i PatentdA Aug, 15, 1922,

Application filed January 8, 1921. Seria! No. 435,908.

T o all ur/:omit amy concern:

Beit known that I, HERMAN H. GARNER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at- Pomona, coimty of Los Angeles, and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement Comprising a Wet-Filter Air Cleaner, of which the following is a specification.

.My invention relates to air cleaners which internal combustion engine practically any dust or dirt which may be carried therein.

Further objects and advantages will be made evident hereinafter.

Referring to thedrawing which is for illustrative purposes only,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of the internal combustion engine to which my invention has been applied.

Fig. 2 is a cross section through the air cleaner proper.

Fig. 3 is a sectionon a plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section on a4 plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. v

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in these drawings, 11 is a cylindrical casi which is provided with a top 12 threaded at 13 to tit upon a pipe 14 which connects to the intake 15 of a carbureter 16 of an internal combustion engine 17.

Inside the top of the casing 11 is a. basket 20 formed of wire in which there is carried a body of fibrous material 21. The basket 2() is formed of wires which are bentup to form a cone 22 in the top and a cone 23 in the bottom, so that the body of fibrous material has a conical depression at both its upper and its lower ends. The vertical wires 24 of the basket 20 are lient in as shown at 25 between two plates 26 which are crimped together at 28. Also secured between the plates 26 and 27 is a felt ring 29 which fitsv tightly inside the casing l1. The plates 26 and 27 have a central opening 30. Situated directly below the plate 27 is an air inlet pipe 31 which is .so Situated with remit to the casing 11 that it admits the air tangentially into that casing. Secured on the bottom of the casing 11 b y means of hooks 35 which engage pins 361s a. canv 37. The can 37v need not make an absolutely air tight joint with the casing 411.

The method of operation` of the invention is as follows:

Before starting the engine, the can 37 is removed and the basket 20 is pulled downwardly and out of the shell 11. The fiber 21 is then saturated by dipping in a bucket of wasteoil and the basket is pushed back into the shell 11. A little oil is placed in the can 37. The can 37 is then replaced. Whenever the engine is started, it creates a vacuum inside the upper portion of the shell 11, this vacuum drawing air in violently through the inlet 31. The incoming air at atmospheric pressure carrying dust particles is caused by its direction of entrance torotate inside the casi 11, forming a vortex. Due to the fact t at the casing 11 is under a partial vacuum, the air also expands upon entering the casing and in addition to the rotary motion indicated by the arrows A, there is a downward expansion in the outer layers of the vortex indicated by the arrows B so that the dust particles are thrown violently outward and downward towards a body of oil 40, carried in the can 37. 'At lirst sight, it wouldV appear that this downward movement of the dust particles is due to gravitation, but I have found working with transparent wall containers that even if the casi-ng 11 is turned upside down, the dust particles-are still thrown violently into the direction of the arrow B or upward with the casing 11 upside down. These dust particles impinge upon the surface of the Aliquid 40 and are caught and retained thereby. The suctionr i@y l Matata ment of the oil l0 is due to the vortex, the pressure in the center Vof this vortex being considerably lower than at the edges. Working'with transparent wall containers l have 'found that the oil 4() forms an elevated point near the center of the can 37 the oil around the periphery of this can -being depressed. This elevated point is higher as the speed of the engine is increased and if the ee is vrun ata very high speed or the diameter of the case 11 is too small the whole contents of the can 37 may be sucked Aup into the fibrous material 21. ln

practice l ind that far below this speed drops of oil are whipped from the end of this point and drawn up into the tibrousl material. ln practice l prefer to make the diameter of the cleaner such that considerable amounts of oil are constantly being drawn up into the lbrous material keeping it wet and washing the dirt caught therein back into the can 37 without makingv the diameter so small that a total-evacuation of oil takes place even at highl engine speeds. v 'lhe fibrous material 21 is preferably thoroughly 'saturated with oil before the engine is started and this saturation is maintalned as described above. The oil caught in the fibrous material runs through the opening 30 and falls back into the can 37, carrying- `the dirt from the fibrous material with it.'

This dirt settles in the can 37 forming- .a sediment which can be readily removed by detaching .the can. In practice the oil 40' is utilized as a washing agent for the fibrous material 21, this washing taking place when ever the engine as described above is run.

rllhe air passing'` upwardly through lthe opening 30 is freed of all the heavier dust which is caught by the oil 40 but lighter particles are still carried by the air. The

*y air passing through the opening 30 is still Vrotating violently and the dust therein tends to stratify, the heavier -particles being car ried in the outer layers of the rotating column of air, the center 'ofthis column being practically free from dust particles. As a consequence thel dust is precipitated and caught on the outer edges of the cone 23,

the center and top of the cone remaining free from dust and nunclogged thereby long after heavy dust deposits are built up on the lower and outer portion of thecone 23.

lf the air entering the cone 23 were not in rotation, the dust would be 'evenly de-v posited and the `cone 23 would soon clog. y

l claim as my invention: l

l. An air ilter comprising: a casing adapted to contain a body of liquid; a filter in said casing above said body of liquid; and means. for producing an air vortex in said casing of sucient strength to draw said liquid into said filter.

2. An air lter comprising; a casing adapted to containa body of liquid; alilter in said casing above said body of liquid; means tor withdrawing air from said casing above said lter; and means for producing an an' vortex in said casing of sucient strength t0 draw said liquid into said filter.

' 3. An air filter comprising: a casing adapted to contain a body of liquid; a filter in Said casin above said body of liquid; means for wit drawing 'air from said casing above said filter; and means for introducing air; into said casing below said filter in sucha manner as to produce an air vortex of sucient strength to draw said liquid into said filter.

t. An air filter comprising: a casing adapted to contain a body of liquid; a filter in said casing above said body of liquid; means for withdrawing air from said casing above said lter; and means for introducing air tangentiallyin'to said casing below said filter in such a manner as to produce an air vortexV of suilicient strength to draw said liquid into said lter.

5. An air filter comprising: a casing; a cup adapted to hold liquid material and closing the bottom of said casing; an air lilter formed of fibrous material and placed in said casing above said cup; means for introducing a1r tangentially into said casing between said ilter and said cup in such'a manner that a vortex is 4formed of sucient strength to draw said liquid upwardly into said air lter; and means for connecting the upper portion of said casing above said lter with the intake of an internal combustion engine. 6. An air filter comprising: a casing; a cup adapted to hold liquid material and closing the bottom of said casing; means for detachably securing said cup to said casing;

Aan air filter formed of fibrous material and nal combustion engine.

- 7. An .air filter comprising: a casing; a

cup adapted to hold liquid material and closing the bottom of said casing; a removable air ilter formed of librous material and placed in said'casing above said cup; means for introducing air tangentially intov said casing between said ilter and said cup in such a manner that a vortex is formed of sucient strength to draw said liquid upwardly into said air lter; andV means for connecting the upper portion of said casing above said lter with the intake of an internal combustion nu:

8. An air lter compg: a casing; a cup adapted to hold liquid vmaterial and closing the bottom oit said casing; a removable air filter formed of fibrous material and laced in said casing above said c up; means -or 1ntroducing air tangent1all into said casing between sa1d lter and sal cup m such a manner that a vortex is formed of suiiicient strength to draw saidliquid upwardly into 9. An air iilter comprising: a casing; a

cup adapted to hold liquid material andvclosing the bottom of said casing; an air filter formed of. fibrous material and placed in said casing above said cup, said filter having a cavity extending centrally upward into the lower end of said fibrous means for introducing air tangentially mto said casing between said filter and said cup in such a manner that a vortex is formed of sufficient strength to draw said liquid upwardly into said air filter; and means for connecting the upper portion of said casing material gA above saidfilter with the intake of an internal combustion engine.

10. An air filter comprising: a cas-ing; a cup adapted tohold liquid material and closing the bottom of said casing; means for detachably securing said cup to said casing; an air filter formed of' fibrous material and placed in said casing above said cup, said filter having a cavity extending centrally upward into the lower end of said fibrous material; means for introducing air tan; gentiall into said casing between said filter and sai cup in such a is formed of suiicient 'strength to draw said liquid upwardly' into said air ilter; and means for connecting the upper portion of said casing above said filter with the intake of an internal combustion engine.

In testimonLwhereof, I have hereunto set my hand at s Angeles, California, this 30th day of December, 1920.

HERMAN H. GARNER.

manner that a vortexA 

